Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-07-09

- 1~SA AS AAA&00A was D1kutxy
wounded by a bullet which passed between
his saddle and his thigh. Into the details of
the fight that ensued It is not necessary to
enter here. They were, If anything, more
~discreditable than most of the episodes of
that unhappy war, In which the holding of
Potchefstroom, ~Lydenburg, Rustenburs and
Wakkerstroom are the only bright spots.
Suffice it to say that they ended in something
very like an utter rout at the hands of a
much inferior force, and that, a few hours
after he had started, John found himself on
the return road to Pretoria, with q severely
wounded man behind his saddle (the ambu-
lance being left in the hands of the Boers),
who, as they went painfully along, mingled
curses OF shame and fury with his own.
Meanwhile exaggerated accounts Of what had
happened had got into the town, and, among
other things, it was said that Capt. Mel
had been shot dead. One man who came in
stated that he saw him fall, and that he was
shot through the head. This Mrs. Neville
heard with her own ears, and, greatly shocked.
started to communicate the intelligence to
jess.
As soon as it WINS daylight Jess had, as was
customary with her, gone over to the little
house which she and John occupied, 1.-THE
Palatial," as 1t was ironically called, and set.
tied herself there for the day. First she tried
to work and could not, so she took q book
that she had brought with her and began to
read, but 1t was a failure also. Her ewes
would wander from the a and her ears
kept straining to catch the distant booming
of the big guns that came from time to time
floating across the hills. Tho fact of the mat
ter was that the poor girl was tho victim Of a
presentiment that something was going to
happen to John. Most people of imaginative
mind have suffered from this kind of thing at
one time or other in their lives, and have
lived to see the folly of it; and, indeed, there
was more i'll the circumstances Of the present
case to excuse the indulgence in the luxury
of presentiments than is usual. Indeed, as it
happened, she was not far out-only a six
teenth of all inch or so-for John was very
nearly killed.
Not finding Jess in camp Mrs. Neville
made her way across to The Palatial,' where
she knew the girl sat, crying as she went at
the thought Of the news that she had to conf
municate, for the good soul had grown very
fond of John Mel. Jess, with that acute
sense Of hearing that often accompanies
nervous excitement, caught the sound Of the
little gate at the bottom of the garden al
most before her visitor had got through it
and ran round the corner Of the house to see
who it was.
One glance at Mrs. Neville's tear stained
face was enough for her. She knew what
was coming, and clasped at one Of the young
blue gum trees that grew along the path to
prevent herself from falling.
what is it" she said, family; sis he
deads"
"Yes, my dear, yes; shot through the head,
they say"
jess madc no answer, but chung to the
sapling. feeling as though she were going
to die herself, and family hoping that she
might do 50. Her eyes wandered vaguely
from the face Of the messenger of evil, first
up to tho Sky, then down to the cropped and
trodden veldt. Past the gate of "The Palatial'
garden ran a road, which, as it happened,
was u short cut from the scene of the fight,
and down this road came four Kafirs and
half castles, bearing something on a stretcher,
with three or four carbineers riding behind.
A coat was thrown over the face of the form.
on tho strctcher, but the legs were visible.
They were booted and spurred, n the feet
fell apart in that peculiarly lax and help
less way Of which there is no possibility Of
installing tho meaning.
Look" she said, pointing.
<AAS poOt u pun AIAtAI Sulll AlIS.
Neville, "they are bringing him here to lay
him out"
Then Jess beautiful eyes closed, and down
she went with the. bending tree. Presently
the sapling snapped, and she fell s~enseless
with q little cry, and as she did so the men
with the corpse passed on.
Two minutes afterward, John Mel, having
heard the rumor Of his own death on arrival
at the camp, and greatly fearing lest it should
have got to Jess ears, came cantering
hurricdly across, and dismounting as well as
his wound would allow, limped up tho garden
path.
"Great heavens, Capt. Nell" said Mrs.
Neville, looking up; "why, we thought that
you were dead!"
And that is what you have been telling
her, | suppose" he said, sternly, glancing at
the pale and deathlike face; "you might have
waited till you were sure. Poor girl! it must
have given her turn,'' and stopping down,
he got his arms under her, and lifting her
with some difficulty, limped off to the house,
where he laid her down upon the table, and,
assisted by Mrs. Neville, began to do oil in
his power to revive her. So obstinate was
her faint, however, that their efforts were
unavailing, and at last Mrs. Neville started
of ~ the camp to get some brandy, leaving
him to go on rubbing her hands and spring.
ling water on her face.
The good lady had not been gone more
than two or three minutes When Jess sud-
denly opened her eyes and sat up, and then
slipped her feet to the ground. Her eyes fell
upon John and dilated with wonder, and he
thought that she was going to faint again,
for even her lips blanched, and she began to
~LoI,o ~~l kroraLyo> ~-.~ e. kla o-kro~-Sk,~
Of her agitation.
"Jess, jess" he said, @for Gods sake don't
look like that, you frighten me!'
II thought you were-I thought you were
-" she said, slowly, and then suddenly burst
into a passion Of tears and fell forward upon
his breast and lay there sobbing her heart
out, her brown curls resting against his face.
1t was On awkward position and a most
moving one. John was only a man, and the
spectacle of this strange woman, 10 whom
he had lately grown so much attached,
plunged into intense emotion. awakened, APP
parently, by anxiety about his fate, stirred
him deeply, as it would have stirred any
body. Indeed, it struck some chord in him
for which he could not quite account, and its
echoes charmed and yet frightened him.
What did it means
"Jess, dear jess, pray stops can't bear to
see you cry 80"
She lifted her head from his shoulder and
stood looking at him, her hand resting on the
table behind her. Her face was wet with
tears and looked like a dew washed lily. and
her beautiful eyes were alight with a fame
that he had never seen in the eyes Of woman
before. She said nothing, but her whole face
was more eloquent han any words, for there
ara times when the features can convey a